


Fight Music

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 18:23:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2438456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fisher wore a look of smug triumph for about thirty seconds before Hotch slugged him so hard he almost flipped over.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fight Music

**Author's Note:**

> This got too big for comment fic Tuesday when [](http://citymusings.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://citymusings.livejournal.com/)**citymusings** wanted ‘ **Hotch defends Emily after someone (wrongly) yells at her** ’. I took it a couple of steps further. The title comes from the D12/Eminem song.

This was not supposed to happen. It wasn’t supposed to happen in Wisconsin. It wasn’t supposed to happen at all, but Wisconsin was the last place anyone would’ve considered. Yet here they were in the emergency room at St. Luke’s Hospital in Racine, battered and bruised. The guys all had bruises of some kind, and the cops weren't looking too good either. The worse part was as they sat there waiting to be seen by doctors, the grace of God keeping them from each other’s throats again, women in Racine were disappearing.

It had been three in two months, which is what caused Lieutenant Paul Hollander to reach out to JJ and the BAU. They didn’t know what the women had in common other than their ages (30 to 35) and their shapes (all three were plus-sized) but he knew something was wrong and was only about to get worse. The BAU took the case and it was downhill from the time they got off the plane. It seemed as if most cops in Racine had a problem with the FBI.

Hotch didn’t know how that could be; he didn’t recall doing any work in the city over his nearly 10 years with the BAU. They didn’t care much for profiling, thought it was bullshit. They were snappish and uncooperative at best, downright hostile at worse. Lieutenant Hollander apologized, didn’t know what to do about his people, but he wanted these cases solved. No bodies had been found yet and that meant there was still a chance to save the women.

The team agreed. They’d been invited and they would do their jobs with the utmost professionalism. There had been some tense moments but they had worked in hostile environments before. This could, and would be done. That all went to hell on Day 4. That was the day the first body was found.

The team drove back to the station from the crime scene in separate vehicles. Rossi drove with Morgan and Hotch with Prentiss. JJ and Reid were at the station working on victimology and a geographical profile. In the parking lot things got ugly. Officer Jake Fisher, who had been one of the loudest opponents to the FBI even being there, decided he was sick and tired of Prentiss’ “attitude”. She was apart from the team when he approached her.

“Hey!” He exclaimed. “Hey! I don’t know who the hell you think you are but you don’t talk to me like that.”

“You might want to calm down, Officer.” Emily replied. She could see the look in his eyes as he approached her. She knew men with violent streaks; he was one of them.

“Fuck that. I don’t need some bitch telling me how to conduct myself at a crime scene, you understand me. I don't need some Fed bitch telling me anything.” He approached and poked her in the chest.

“Back up.” Emily stood her ground. “You back up now!”

“You don’t tell me what to do, bitch! Why don’t you go back to the kitchen if you want to give commands?”

Hotch, Morgan, and Rossi heard the commotion from the lobby of the police station. Morgan went to look out the door and scowled. He looked at his Unit Chief.

“Hotch, we got trouble. C'mon.”

Emily was turning to walk away from the officer as her teammates walked out of the door.

“Don’t you turn your back on me, cunt.” He grabbed her shoulder hard.

“Get you damn hands…” Emily grabbed his wrist and twisted it. Before she could stop it, his other hand balled into a fist and hit her square in the face.

“Emily!” Hotch ran across the parking lot as his teammate crumbled to the ground. Morgan and Rossi were right behind him. Fisher wore a look of smug triumph for about thirty seconds before Hotch slugged him so hard he almost flipped over. “You son of a bitch!”

“Hotch!” Morgan and Prentiss exclaimed in unison.

“You want to hit a woman?” Hotch hit him again. “You want to slug a member of my team?”

“Hotch!” Morgan grabbed him, tried to get him off the guy.

Fisher took the opportunity of the Unit Chief having his hands restrained to give him a low blow in the kidneys. Hotch grimaced and Morgan let him go. Three more police officers ran over, looked as if they wanted to break it up but started trying to pound on Hotch and Morgan.

“Shit.” Rossi muttered. “Prentiss, are you alright?”

“My jaw might be broken.” She grimaced. Her first instinct was to burst into tears from the pain but to hell with that. She wouldn’t give that bastard the satisfaction.

“Don’t move, just stay here.”

Against his better judgment, but knowing he had no choice, Rossi jumped into the melee. There were arms and legs everywhere; cursing, shouting and screaming. No one was sure who broke it up but soon there were four cops on one side, three BAU agents on another, and one BAU Agent on the ground. Lieutenant Hollander and a few other officers stood between them.

“That jackass attacked me!” Fisher screamed.

“He slugged my Agent.” Hotch’s voice was calm despite the busted lip and the deep gash over his eye. “He punched a woman in her jaw; an FBI Agent. We need to take her to a hospital.”

“Go Agent Hotchner.” The Lieutenant said. “I’ll meet you there with the rest of this motley crew.”

Hotch walked away to Emily, who had picked herself up from the ground. She wasn’t going to sit there like some idiot while the men folk fought for her honor. He put his arm around her and took her to a waiting SUV. They pulled out of the parking lot, turning down the street toward a hospital. Prentiss tried to bite her lip to hold back the tears but that just caused more pain. She let out a whimper and a few tears slid out of her eyes. She punched the dashboard hard.

“Its OK, Emily.” He tried to use his best soothing voice though his anger was about to boil over. “We’re gonna get you taken care of.”

She nodded, turning away from him so he wouldn’t see her cry. Dammit, dammit to hell. How did it come to this?

***

“How is Agent Prentiss?” Hotch asked the nurse who was stitching the cut above his eyebrow.

“I don’t know, sir. I can find out for you.”

“Please.”

“Hotch, are you alright?” JJ and Reid came rushing back into the room he was sitting in. “What happened?”

“Fisher went postal and punched Emily in the face.”

“What?”

“Are you serious?” Reid asked.

“I'm dead serious.”

“Then what happened?” JJ asked. “There’s like four cops out there and I haven’t seen Morgan or Rossi.”

“Then I kicked his ass.” Hotch replied with a straight face. “Morgan tried to pull me off of him but the coward used it as an opportunity to take some cheap shots at me. It pretty much turned into a melee after that. I'm not thinking Racine is going to want us around for much longer.”

“That’s Lieutenant Hollander’s decision.” JJ said.

“What I meant to say is that we’re leaving Racine. That is after I make sure Fisher faces stiff disciplinary action, and possibly criminal charges for what he did to Prentiss.”

“Hotch…any news on Prentiss?” Morgan walked over to the three of them. He’d taken a few licks as well but looked OK.

“The nurse is trying to get me something. I didn’t mean for this to happen Morgan; I'm sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. They started it, we finished it.”

“Why would he just attack Prentiss?” Reid asked. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“He was like a monster.” Hotch said. “He was foaming at the mouth by the time I got to him. He could’ve really hurt her.” he was balling his hands into fists, finally stopping when the pain became too great. “I need to find Emily.” He hopped off the gurney. “You guys find Rossi and then we’re leaving. This case is over.”

“Agent Hotchner…”

“Not now, Lieutenant.” Hotch brushed past him. “I need to find my Agent.”

“Agent Hotchner!” a nurse called across the room. “She’s over here.”

He rushed in the other direction and the rest of the team looked at the Lieutenant.

“I don’t know what happened out there.” he said. “Fisher’s always been a hothead but a good cop. What happened today is shocking.”

“I'm sure Internal Affairs will have lots of questions for him.” JJ replied. “This isn’t going to be swept under the rug. Assaulting a federal officer is a serious offense.”

They walked away in search of Rossi.

***

“Hey.” Hotch moved the curtain back and sat on the side of Emily’s bed. Her bruised face had already turned purple. Just looking at it made him want to go back out there and finish the job on Fisher.

“I'm alright, Hotch.” Emily said.

“What happened?”

“I don't know. I needed some air so I walked down to the other end of the parking lot. He approached me and just started screaming. He claimed I didn’t need to tell him how to do his job. I tried to diffuse the situation but he just got angrier and poked me a couple of times. That pissed me off. So I turned to walk away. Then he grabbed me. I got hold of his wrist and was about to take him down when he punched me. I didn’t cover myself.”

“This is not your fault. That man took an oath to protect and serve. I don’t know what kind of anger management issues he has but he stepped way over the line. I will have his badge by the time this is over.”

“You're not going to get me to feel sorry for him.” Emily replied.

“Is your jaw broken?” He asked.

“Its mangled, and it hurts like hell but I think I'm OK.”

“You're not OK.” Hotch caressed the other side of her face. She was in full Prentiss mode again; wasn’t going to let the pain show. He didn’t quite know how to comfort her and that just upset him more. “We’re getting the hell out of Racine tonight.”

“The case…”

“The case is over.”

“Hotch, we have a job to do.” Emily reasoned.

“We don’t work under these kinds of conditions. The cops caused a melee while women are out there dying. No, we’re going home and they can handle their own problems. You were assaulted by someone who was supposed to have your back. My team isn’t safe here…it’s over.”

“OK.” Emily nodded, grimacing against the pain. She swore she heard her jaw crack when he hit her. It took every fiber of her being not to scream in agony. “Look at your face. I'm so sorry.”

“They hit like schoolgirls.” Hotch replied.

“Not all of them.”

“I'm gonna be fine. Morgan is gonna be fine and the rest of the team is looking for Rossi. I'm sure he’s gonna be fine too. Even those idiots will recover. But you…”

“Now I’ll never be a teen model.” Prentiss said, laughing some. Laughter made her hurt so she whimpered and once again fought the tears pricking the backs of her eyes.

“Did the doctor give you something for the pain?”

“I’m waiting for him to come back with my prescription. I told him no narcotics so I’ll probably just get the 1600mg of Motrin. I’d be grateful for it.”

“We can fill it here in the hospital. And I'm sure that Internal Affairs will want to ask us questions before we go. If they don’t get here soon, I’ll call them myself.”

“How did this happen?” Emily asked. “We’ve been in hostile environments before, but this…”

“I don't know.” Hotch shook his head. This was madness, and even now his profiler senses said they were in danger. He wanted to think they weren't but how could he after what just happened in that parking lot.

“Agent Prentiss.” a young doctor came over to the gurney. “You're good to go. Here’s a prescription for Motrin, for the pain. You can expect pain for the next few weeks to a month. Eating won't be too pleasurable and I suggest drinking through a straw. Still, it’s just a minor fracture.”

“Can you set it?” Hotch asked. “Can you do something?”

“It’s really too small of a fracture for that. We had to look at the x-ray twice to catch it. If we wire the jaw shut, which we would normally do for a bad fracture, it would be more trouble than its worth. When we get small ones like this we rely on patient responsibility to keep it from getting worse.”

“I don’t want my jaw wired shut, Hotch.”

“What if it heals wrong? I don’t like this…I think something needs to be done.”

“That’s not up to you.”

“Emily, please. You have to take care of the injury.” He looked at the doctor. “How long would the jaw have to be wired?”

“Six to eight weeks in the case of a serious fracture. This is not a serious fracture, Agent Hotchner.”

“Aren't all fractures serious?” Hotch countered.

“Hotch…”

“In a way you're right. Sir, I'm a medical professional, I'm telling you that Agent Prentiss does not need to have her jaw wired shut. She needs to take her pain meds and do liquids and soft foods for possibly the next two to three weeks. She needs to see her dentist within seven to ten days to reassess. If she follows this advice, she will be fine. I don’t think we need to go overboard in her treatment.”

“I'm listening to him.” Prentiss pointed to the doctor. “Can you go and have my prescription filled?”

Hotch sighed, nodding. He took the piece of paper from the doctor, asked where the pharmacy was, and told her he’d be back.

“He’s a bit…” the young doctor said.

“Yeah, he is. Thank you, Doctor.”

“You're welcome, Agent Prentiss.”

Hotch met the team halfway out of the ER. Rossi had a few cuts on his cheek and a purple ring around his right eye. They looked like the damn Little Rascals.

“Is Emily OK?” Dave asked.

“She has a slight fracture but the doctor is insisting pain management and soft foods is a better solution than jaw wiring. Prentiss agrees and I get no say. Where the hell is Internal Affairs?”

“No one is here.” Morgan said. “Even Hollander took off after you brushed by him. I have a feeling they're about to close ranks.”

“JJ, make a phone call. We need to get the hell out of this town and we can't do that until someone takes our statements. Call the Internal Affairs Department; tell them what they need to know. We need to get Prentiss back to the hotel to rest. We all need to rest.”

She nodded, taking her iPhone off her hip and walking away.

“We can just have them meet us back at the hotel.” Rossi said. “Sitting around here isn’t good for anyone.”

“You're probably right. Go, and I’ll bring Prentiss back after we get her meds and sign all the paperwork.”

“Are you alright, Hotch?” Reid asked.

“I'm fine. Now that I know she's going to be OK, I'm fine. JJ, have them meet us back at the Comfort Inn.”

“Yes sir.” She nodded. “This is SSA Jennifer Jareau on hold for Detective Stuart Martinez.”

Once again the BAU parted ways. This was about to be a very long night for a very different reason.

***

Emily was pissed off and she was hungry. Internal Affairs had come to the hotel and questioned each member of the team individually about the events that happened in the parking lot. Hotch let them know that the BAU would be leaving town in the morning but they could always be reached through Jennifer Jareau. She was the liaison and would handle anything from here on out. It also helped that JJ had not been a witness to the fight so she was objective in anything having to do with the case.

Now it was dark and Emily was sure whoever this creep was he was out hunting for another victim. One by one those women would be found and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She didn’t like not being able to do her job. She damn sure didn’t like the lengths some Racine police officers went through to get rid of them today. Hotch wanted badges and careers; Emily didn’t know what she wanted. She just knew she never wanted something like this to happen again.

The knocking on the door brought her out of her thoughts. She went over, looked out the peephole, and opened it. She saw Hotch on the other side but couldn’t smile; it hurt too much. She could see in his eyes that he knew that.

“I come bearing gifts.” He said.

“Come in. What did you bring me?”

“It’s a coffee ice cream milkshake.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes ma'am. You need something on your stomach and I know you probably won't be able to eat for the next couple of days. I thought this might be nice for you.”

He closed the door as Emily took the Styrofoam cup and went back into the room.

“I appreciate it.” She sipped it, grimacing some. “Thanks.”

“I know this might seem superficial but it sucks that I have to wait three weeks just to give you a kiss.” Hotch said. “I can go back and beat the hell out of Fisher again.”

“For your kisses?” Emily asked.

“Damn straight.”

She smiled, groaning again. This was really gonna suck.

“I just want to go home. I want to go home and forget this ever happened.”

“It might not be that simple.” Hotch replied.

“Yeah, when it is ever? This milkshake is delicious. I better get used to the taste.”

“Did you take your pain meds?”

“Yes. I was actually on my way to bed.” She said. “I don’t know the last time I got a full night’s sleep but I was going to get 8 hours and dream of dewy meadows. Then I’ll probably wake up in excruciating pain.”

“Dammit.” Hotch got up and took her into his arms. He was extra careful to make sure he didn’t hurt her. “I am so sorry this happened.”

“I know. I've taken my fair share of bumps and bruises for the job. I’ll be a lot better if I just think of it that way.”

“How am I gonna be a lot better?” he whispered.

“You probably need to go home and punch something again.”

He smiled some, gently kissing the side of her mouth that wasn’t bruised. It was difficult with his mangled mouth; he could hardly feel her. Emily stroked his cheek, leaning her forehead on his.

“I love you.” She said.

“I love you too. It’s why I want to beat the living hell out of Jake Fisher.”

“Aaron,” She put the milkshake on the table and caressed his face. “You already did that. Its over. We just need to get a good night’s sleep and get the hell out of Racine. Promise me that you're not gonna carry this around. Promise me that we’ll just move on.”

He didn’t say anything for a while, resting his arms around her waist. It was going to be so hard to get that image out of his mind, Fisher hitting her like he did. At least when Cyrus attacked her, Hotch didn’t see it. Not that he didn’t dream about it, have nightmares for weeks after it happened. How would he handle the assault he saw?

They should've never left her out there alone. The situation was tenuous from the beginning; the team should've stayed together. He couldn’t make the promise to never leave her side again, at least not in the field. It was a promise he couldn’t keep and he stopped making those some time ago. This next one would be an exception to that rule.

“I promise.”

“Good.” Emily gave a tentative nod. “Now I want you to get naked while I finish this shake. I just want to hold onto you tonight.”

“Me too, baby.” Hotch kissed her forehead before going into the bathroom.

Emily went back to the window and looked out on the city. There was someone out there snatching and killing women and the BAU was leaving in the morning. How could anyone there feel safe when those promised to protect and serve started fights straight out of a bad reality show? It all happened so fast, there was nothing that Emily could’ve done to stop it.

She couldn’t even protect herself out there…what kind of Agent was she? If that piece of shit cop got the jump on her what would happen the next time she was in a dark house looking for some Unsub? Hotch wasn’t the only one who was going to be having nightmares about this for a long time to come. Sometimes she really hated this job.

“Come to bed.” Hotch said, turning out the bathroom light and pulling back the covers. “For tonight we’ll just forget.”

And there were days when she knew that it had given her everything.

***

  



End file.
